


The Green Apron

by holtzbabe



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F, the fic that took a lifetime to write, yeah it's basically a coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 17:17:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13956321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holtzbabe/pseuds/holtzbabe
Summary: Holtz doesn’t particularly love spending her 5:00am-10:00am hours dressed in a green apron, steaming milk for overworked and undercaffeinated college kids on their way to their morning classes at MIT.But she has fun with it.





	The Green Apron

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ithrowmyviolets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ithrowmyviolets/gifts).



> So waaayyyyy back in LAST MAY, I held a oneshot giveaway contest on Tumblr to celebrate SOMETHING...I can't even remember what, now. Anyway, the wonderful [ithrowmyviolets](http://ithrowmyviolets.tumblr.com/) won and prompted me with [this text post](http://jenn--jenn.tumblr.com/post/163124388547/kramergate-today-the-barista-at-starbucks). I fell in love with the idea and I've gone through quite the journey to write this. I started it almost immediately, then got swept up in life and writing [all the love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000574/chapters/24504501). Then as I was on a plane moving across the country in August, I wrote a bunch more of this fic. Then my tablet deleted everything new that I'd written. Anyway, here we are ten months later, and I'm on March break and have finally had time to FINISH (RE)WRITING THIS. I'm sorry this is so so so late and I hope you like it and it was worth the wait!

Holtz doesn’t particularly _love_ spending her 5:00am-10:00am hours dressed in a green apron, steaming milk for overworked and undercaffeinated college kids on their way to their morning classes at MIT. That being said, she _is_ one of those overworked and undercaffeinated college kids, and the job is just that—a job.

She makes the most of it. She’s always been one of those people who needs very little in the sleep department to function, so she may as well make the most of her mornings. Five hours of coffee cups and syrups and the mindless screech of espresso machines so she can spend the rest of her day in classes and at the lab, up to her elbows in a nuclear reactor or two. A good trade-off, really.

Besides, she has fun with it.

“Trenta iced coffee for Erin?” she calls as she sets down the cup on the counter with a straw.

An auburn-haired girl about Holtz’s age, standing off to the side with a literal briefcase tucked under her arm, twitches like she’s about to reach for the drink but decides against it.

Holtz watches her for a second, temporarily distracted by the gay part of her brain that can’t help but get overwhelmed by gorgeous girls, then she turns back to make the next order.

A few drinks later, the iced coffee is still sitting there, so she announces the name again. The girl is still standing there, and she takes a step forward and waves her hand a little.

“Hi, um, I think that’s supposed to be mine,” she says quietly, like she’s scared to speak up, “but it was supposed to be a venti, not a trenta…”

Holtz stares at her, unblinking, and pushes the drink across the counter closer to her. “I decide what you drink, now.”

The girl, Erin, blinks. “You won’t get in trouble?”

“I like to live on the wild side.” Holtz winks. “Enjoy your extra 325mls of coffee.”

Is it her imagination, or does Erin blush? “Thank you.”

Holtz grins and turns back to make the next order. Only three more hours.

c[~]

The next morning, Holtz is on till instead of making drinks.

She looks up to greet the next customer in line and recognizes her instantly.

“Hey! It’s Trenta Erin!”

Erin’s blush is obvious this time. “I didn’t order a trenta.”

“Sure, sure. How was the extra coffee?”

“Much needed,” Erin says reluctantly. “I’m glad I had it.”

“Excellent. So what can I getcha today?”

Erin bites her lip. “Would you judge me if I got a trenta iced coffee?”

Holtz keys it into the register and leans in close. “I never judge anyone’s orders, but if you’re self-conscious, just know that about five minutes ago, someone ordered a venti vanilla Frappuccino with three shots of espresso and ten pumps of both caramel and toffee nut syrup. That’s not even the weirdest order _today_. Nothing fazes me.”

Erin blinks. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever put _any_ syrup in anything I’ve ordered here.”

“You wanna?”

“Should I?”

“Right, I forgot that I decide what you drink, now,” Holtz says with a wink. “I vote yes. My homeboy was on the right track—I’d recommend a lil toffee nut. Not ten pumps, mind you. A solid four for a trenta.”

Erin waves her hand. “I trust you.”

Holtz grins. “You shouldn’t.”

Erin gives a half smile. Holtz can’t tell if she’s flirting back.

Erin opens her wallet. “How much does that addition bring it up to?”

“I won’t charge you for the extra syrups,” Holtz whispers, and announces the total.

Erin pays. Holtz grabs a cup and uncaps a Sharpie with her teeth.

“It’s Erin with an E,” Erin says.

“I remember,” Holtz says cheerfully. “Enjoy your drink, Erin with an E.”

“Have a good day, um…”

“Holtz,” she supplies.

Erin’s lips twitch at the uncommon name. “Have a good day, then…Holtz.”

Holtz salutes and turns to the next customer in line.

c[~]

The next morning, Holtz gets handed a trenta cup, iced coffee, four pumps toffee nut syrup, for Erin with an E. She excitedly looks up and sees Erin standing off to the side. Erin smiles and gives a little wave when she sees Holtz looking.

Holtz makes the drink and carries it to the counter.

“Erin?” she calls, even though Erin is already walking towards her.

She slides the drink across the counter with a straw and leans down onto her elbows with a smirk. “So you liked it?”

Erin shyly takes her drink and slides the wrapper off the straw, stabbing it through the opening. “I did.”

“Next time, you should add an espresso shot.”

Erin takes a pull from her coffee and raises her eyebrows. “That’s a lot of caffeine.”

“You seem like you need it.”

Erin’s lips twist around the straw in amusement. “Should I be offended?”

Holtz laughs. “You’re a student, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Erin admits. “How could you tell?”

“Well, I’ll admit that the briefcase threw me off,” Holtz says, “but you’re the right age demographic. Lucky guess?”

“Are you a student, too?”

“Holtzy,” a voice barks behind her. “Stop flirtin’ and get back to work.”

Holtz rolls her eyes and pushes herself up from the counter. “My manager,” she says to Erin. “Coming, Pattyyyy,” she calls over her shoulder.

“Get back to work,” Erin says with a laugh. “See you later, Holtz.”

Holtz salutes and returns to work.

c[~]

“You are awfully chipper today,” Dr. Gorin remarks dryly.

“Highly caffeinated and ready to party as always, Dr. G,” Holtz says. “Aren’t you used to it by now?”

“Your accidental fire count for the day is double what it usually is. I may have to ban caffeine in the lab if it is going to impair you like this.”

Holtz chuckles. “I work in a coffee shop. Good luck with that.”

Dr. Gorin rolls her eyes. “Just keep focused, please. I would like to make it home alive today.”

“You got it, Doc.”

Holtz shapes up and doesn’t cause any more accidents, but she’s still mildly distracted for the rest of the day, thinking about a certain adorably charming regular customer who she can’t wait to see again.

c[~]

Erin isn’t alone the next time Holtz sees her.

A smile spreads on Holtz’s face when they approach the till. “Abby!”

“Holtzmann! What’s up? Erin, you didn’t tell me _Holtzmann_ was the cute barista.”

Erin elbows Abby hard and turns scarlet. “You know each other?”

“We have a class together,” Holtz says with a grin. “You think I’m cute?”

Erin clears her throat loudly. “I’ll have my usual. With an espresso shot, please.”

Holtz chuckles and rings it in.

“You have a _usual?”_ Abby asks. “Erin, you don’t even like Starb—” She breaks off with a wheeze as Erin elbows her even harder.

Holtz raises an eyebrow in amusement as Erin hurriedly hands her $10. She gets Erin’s change and passes it back. “What can I get ya, Abs?”

“Grande Americano, thanks,” Abby says, and pays.

Holtz marks their cups and passes them along. “Enjoy, guys.” She winks at Erin. “Bye, Erin,” she singsongs.

As they walk away, she swears she hears Erin say, “I’m going to kill you, Abby.”

c[~]

Erin doesn’t come the next time Holtz is there, much to her disappointment. Did she push too hard? The flirting didn’t seem to be bothering her until Abby was involved.

Holtz is relieved during her next shift when she spots Erin ordering. She prepares the beverage with care and carries it to the counter, where Erin is waiting, rubbing her arm.

Holtz hands her the drink. “Hey. Listen, I’m sorry if I overstepped or anything—”

“No, _no_ , you didn’t,” Erin says quickly.

Holtz eyes her over her glasses. “You sure?”

Erin blushes and looks at the floor. “Yes.”

Interesting.

Holtz can’t stop her smile. “Enjoy your coffee, Erin.”

c[~]

The next morning, she spots Erin immediately upon her entrance and tries to focus on correctly preparing the latte she’s working on instead of being distracted. She waits patiently for the cup to come.

When she gets it, she turns her back and pulls a Sharpie out of her hair, then scrawls an addition on the side of the cup.

Patty stands in front of her and folds her arms. “I saw that. You gotta know that ain’t professional.”

“Patty,” Holtz whines under her breath. “Let me have this.”

Patty eyes her. “You gonna lose us a customer?”

Holtz holds up one finger. “No.”

“Will you stop holding up our line because you’re too busy falling all over her?”

Holtz laughs. “I’ll try.”

Patty shakes her head with a smile. “Don’t make me regret this. Go get ’em, baby.”

Holtz beams, claps her on the shoulder, and turns to make Erin’s drink.

When she carries it to the counter, she’s a little nervous. Erin is waiting.

Holtz carefully sets down the drink.

“Thanks!” Erin says. She seems to falter as she instantly spots the writing on the side of the cup.

Shit. Holtz was kind of hoping she wouldn’t notice until she left.

Erin holds the cup up and reads the phone number and smiley face, then looks up at Holtz.

Holtz swallows and shifts in place. “I, um. No pressure—but I _do_ have a life outside of this.” She gestures around her. She licks her lips. “Maybe sometime—if you wanted—we could go grab…something that’s not coffee?”

Erin looks a little pale. Holtz can see her visibly swallow.

“If not, that’s totally okay,” Holtz says quickly. “We can forget it ever happened.”

“Yes,” Erin blurts out.

“You want to forget it ever happened?” Holtz takes a step backwards.

“No!” Erin rapidly shakes her head. “ _Yes_. I—yes. To…not-coffee. Sometime. Um.”

A slow smile spreads on Holtz’s face. “Say no more. Gimme a call, alright?”

“Uh, yes. Yes. You should, uh, get back to work,” Erin says, smiling as well.

Holtz salutes. “Enjoy the coffee, Erin. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Erin is backing up towards the door. “Bye, Holtz!”

“Say hi to Abby for me,” she calls after her.

“Y’all are like lost puppies,” Patty says behind her.

Holtz whirls around and coughs. “You are…standing right there.”

Patty laughs. “Time to get back to work, Romeo. You gotta pay for your date somehow.” There’s a loud crashing sound behind her and she sighs loudly. “Kevin,” she calls over her shoulder, “can’t I have _one_ minute of peace?”

“Sorry, boss!”

Holtz laughs and grabs the next cup in line. Only two more hours until she can check her phone and see if Erin texted her.

She loves this job.

 


End file.
